Divergence
by EvilProduct
Summary: Half-Life/Halo/Gears of War crossover spun-off of my earlier Half-Life fic. I don't own anything relating to these three games. WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ALL 3 GAMES! PLEASE REVIEW! Pt. 9 is finally up! Modifications made to previous chapters. On Hiatus
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

The following story is a crossover for Half-Life 2, Halo 3, and Gears of War. It was inspired by Meshakhad's story "Six Soldiers". It is not related to it in any way.

The statuses of the aforementioned games' characters are as follows:

**Half-Life 2**

The Half-Life 2 aspect of this story is a spin-off of my earlier story "Half-Life 2: Episode 3". Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, Adrian Shepherd, Chell Shepherd, and the Vortigaunts Lo-gen, Rezlan, and Zenlo are at the Aperture Science Warehouse and Storage center with the wounded body of the G-Man.

**Halo 3**

Master Chief and Cortana are trapped on the Forward Unto Dawn frigate drifting through space, awaiting help.

**Gears of War**

A year after the events of the game. Delta Squad is still together and the Locust Horde is still on Sera.

Please Enjoy and Review. I appreciate reviews and love them. I hope you like it. Enjoy **"Divergence"**


	2. Part 1

**Divergence**

**Part 1**

**2100 HOURS, JULY 23, 2020 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ APERTURE SCIENCE WAREHOUSE AND STORAGE CENTER\ BARROW, ALASKA\ PLANET EARTH**

Gordon Freeman stared down at the G-Man. The final bullet wounds showed fresh in the evil businessman's torso. GLaDOS had been destroyed and hung in ruins above the group. Alyx, Chell, Barney, Lo-gen, Rezlan, and Zenlo stood behind Gordon and Adrian at the front of the room.

"_It seems I've been beaten._" said the G-Man in groggy words. Blood ran from the evil beings mouth. Gordon lifted his .357 Magnum pistol and aimed it at the man's head.

"Do it Gordon." Adrian said. "Finish this." Gordon cocked the hammer. Before he could pull the trigger though, the G-Man mustered a few more words.

"_Wait, Dr. Freeman_. _I said it seems…"_ The demon said. A familiar piercing screeching noise filled the room. The rebel group held their heads in pain at the noise. The G-Man stood up effortlessly. The blood on his gray suit began to clean itself up. The bullet wounds closed and the fabric on his jacket wove back together. Gordon stared in astonishment. He had thought the fight was over. He had wanted it to be over. The G-Man proved to be more resourceful than he had thought though. In his mind he had failed. A great white light filled the room and engulfed the group. The last words spoken in the room that could be heard were Gordon and Alyx's cries for each other.

"ALYX!"

"GORDON…" And then there was nothing.

--

**0900 HOURS, JANUARY 5, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD AFT SECTION OF UNSC FRIGATE _FORWARD UNTO DAWN\_ UNKNOWN LOCATION**

The rear half of the _Forward Unto Dawn _spaceship drifted through space. The firing of the Halo rings eradicated the Flood, but separated Master Chief from earth. Master Chief sat in a cryogenic tube on the right side of the severed frigate. Cortana was still hooked up to Chief's armor and kept his SPARTAN enhanced subconscious mind company during his cryo-sleep. Their conversation went on in his head, as if it was a dream to the SPARTAN warrior.

"Well, Chief, we're probably gonna be here for a while." Cortana said.

"I know, I wonder what has happened on Earth." He responded.

"They probably think you're dead."

"They don't need me anymore anyway. The Covenant is at ease, the Prophets are dead, and the Flood is extinct."

"Well, there will always be someone to fight." Chief was eager to get back to earth, but he believed that their use for him had run out. He was a former hero who became lost in space.

"Cortana, are you sure you can't establish contact with earth." Chief said in his mind.

"Last I checked I could only get scattered signal from there, nothing but static. But I'll check again." Cortana tried to establish radio contact with earth once again. "Chief, I've got something. The signal's weak, and I still can't message them, but I have a radio signal." Cortana played the signal for Chief. It reverberated in his mind adding to the illusion of a dream.

"…thousands mourned today for the loss of the brave soldiers who gave their lives in the Halo Wars. A memorial was erected in their honor in Voi, Africa, the site of the Battle of Voi. One loss pointed out in the many eulogies is SPARTAN-117, better known as Master Chief. The Chief, who led his planet well in the wars, will be remembered forever in the annals of history. Master Chief's brave squad of soldiers managed to activate the Halo rings and eradicate the Flood parasite from the universe. Unfortunately, the Halo rings' firing did more than destroy the Flood. A nearby planet in the vicinity of the rings' firing point was affected by the blast. This planet, which we now know as Sera, reported that an asteroid field was moved out of its orbit and a meteorite shower hit them. They have the situation under control, but the asteroids damaged a few cities on Sera. The Arbiter reported from the Elite homeworld of Sanghelios today, reporting that he returned safely and he was ready to negotiate peace talks with Earth. The remains of the Covenant Loyalists (including the races of Brutes, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters) have either been imprisoned for life or are sentenced to be executed as soon as the Arbiter is instated as the new king of the Elites." The radio transmission ended after that.

"Well, that's a relief." Cortana said.

"I wonder if any of the Flood escaped the rings." Chief replied.

"That's highly unlikely, although there must be something going on with Sera. The rings had to have done something more than just cause a meteor shower."

"_Good guess._" A voice said. Cortana was surprised.

"What the hell?!" Cortana exclaimed. "Chief, the sensors on the ship detect movement. There's someone here!" she said.

"Let me out of here, Cortana." Chief's cryo pod lurched to life. He quickly defrosted and walked out of the pod. Cortana still stood on the table in her holographic form. She pointed ahead of her, past Chief. There standing at the severed part of the ship was a man in a gray suit. He carried with him a light brown suitcase. "Who are you?" Chief yelled.

"_Do not fret, John. I am a friend." _Said the G-Man.

"Don't listen to him Chief, he doesn't look right to me." Cortana said.

"_I can take you back to Earth Master Chief, both you and Cortana."_

"What do I have to do?" Chief answered without protest. The G-Man set down his briefcase. The room was silent until the G-Man snapped his fingers. A bright white light filled the room. It was silent.

--

Gordon Freeman opened his eyes. He was in a bright metal room. It looked as if it was a bunk room. He looked to his right. There were many beds in the room. His friends lay on the beds next to him. Alyx, Chell, Adrian, Barney, Lo-gen, Rezlan, and Zenlo lay there. Gordon looked forward at the beds across the room. He saw Dr. Kliener and Dr. Magnusson laying on them as well. Damn, Gordon thought. He looked around the room. In the right corner sat DOG and Hedy Lamarr, Kliener's headcrab. The G-Man had gotten all of them. Gordon got up from his bed. He was still wearing his HEV suit, but neither he nor his friends had any of their weapons. He looked over at another bed. There was a very tall man laying in it. He was clad in full body green armor. He was bulky and most likely muscle bound under the suit. Gordon wondered who he was. He walked over to the armored man. He didn't want to be rude, but he had to know who the man was. He knocked on the man's helmet.

"Hello, anybody home." Gordon asked. The man made a grunt. He shook his head a bit and looked up at Gordon. The man instantly went defensive. He grabbed Gordon's left arm and pulled him forward. Strangely, the man pulled a handgun from his right leg's holster. The quick look Gordon got of the gun revealed it to be nothing Gordon had ever encountered. It looked more futuristic than his 9mm or .357 Magnum. The green armored man put the gun to Gordon's neck.

"Who are you?" the man said.

"I didn't mean any harm!" Gordon replied. The man stopped. A voice other than the man's seemed to emanate from the man's helmet. The voice was female.

"John, wait! I just scanned his face. When his name popped up, I did a background search. It's Gordon Freeman!" the voice said. The green armored man pulled back. He holstered the gun and backed away a bit. He laid his head down on the pillow as if he was relieved.

"Gordon Freeman…he's back?" the man said. "How can that be?" The man got up out of the bed and stood on the other side from Gordon. Gordon held out his hand to the man.

"Yeah, I'm Dr. Gordon Freeman" said Gordon hesitantly. He still didn't understand what was going on. The man didn't grab Gordon's hand. He instead saluted him. Gordon put his hand down and the man introduced himself.

"I am Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, United Nations Space Command SPARTAN-II supersoldier, at your service Dr. Freeman. You can call me John." said the man. The female voice from earlier spoke again.

"Are you going to introduce me, John" the voice said.

"Oh, sorry." The man reached behind his head and pulled a data disc of some sort out of the back of his helmet. He walked over to a nearby table on the left side of the bunk room. He inserted the disc into a small slot on the table. A small blue woman appeared on the table. "Dr. Freeman, this is Cortana. She is an artificial intelligence that has been tagging along with me."

"Oh now John, I've done more than that. Hello, Dr. Freeman." Cortana said. Gordon wanted some answers.

"Hello. Um, can I ask, how do you know me?" He asked.

"Oh, I suppose you don't know much of your legacy, what with your disappearance and all." Cortana said. "Here, I'll explain." The small AI turned around and projected something onto the adjacent wall. It was an old picture. Gordon recognized it immediately. It was of the Aperture Science Production Center and Warehouse in Alaska. Cortana began. "In the year 2020, you and your team of rebels were commissioned to protect this building. There are many versions of the story, but the most common is this. When you arrived at the building, you defended it from the forces of the Combine Empire. When that was done you destroyed the insane artificial intelligence known as GLaDOS and encountered the leader of the Combine. You fought this dark ruler and beat him. With their leader defeated the resistance forces easily overthrew the Combine regime and pushed the world into a new age. However, you disappeared after the battle with the Combine leader and were never seen again. Many believed you dead. The Combine was overthrown and Humanity reestablished their leadership of the planet within the next 100 years."

"Wait, 100 years!" Gordon interrupted. "What year is it!? How long was I away!?" he asked. Chief and Cortana looked at each other as if they would regret their next statement. Chief said it.

"Last we checked the year was 2553." He said.

"2553!" Gordon exclaimed. "I've been asleep for 533 years! The first time was only 20 years!" His outburst had stirred the room. Gordon turned to see Alyx stirring. He ran across the room to her. He knelt down next to the lower of the bunkbeds that she was lying on.

"Uh…Gordon? Is…that you?" she said in a haze, still obviously groggy.

"Yeah I'm her honey." He replied. He caught what he said, and even though he and Alyx were in love, it still sounded weird to him. She mustered a smile in her still half-dazed state and leaned toward Gordon to steal a kiss. She noticed Master Chief behind him. She jumped at the sight of the giant man. Gordon caught her. "I'll explain later." He said.

Suddenly, a door creaked behind them. The group turned to see a man in green armor similar to Chief's. His however wasn't as big or as covering. He held a large unfamiliar gun in his arms. He looked startled at the sight of the people in the room. Chief stepped up.

"At ease soldier." He said. The soldier gave Chief a look of surprise. He seemed to shake at his presence.

"I…I…Mast…but you…died…" he stammered. The soldier then fainted. Gordon rolled his eyes and smiled at Master Chief. Cortana spoke up.

"Oh boy." She said. "Come on, pick him up."

--

**1723 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ OUTSIDE NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU\ PLANET SERA**

The carnage of the attack was unfathomable. Delta Squad walked down the destroyed street. Rubble lined the sidewalks and a fallen helicopter was visible down the street billowing smoke. The Locust Horde had done a number on the town.

"Damn man. The Locust really tore this place apart." Dominic said.

"Yeah, well our bullets certainly didn't help in the matter." Baird commented.

"Hey I just wanna shoot some more grubs." Cole added. The three were as belligerent as ever. But Marcus Fenix, who led the group, walked slowly and listened. Something caught his attention.

"Shhh!" he commanded. The three went on alert. They raised their Lancers. Slowly they walked over pebbles that lined the streets. BANG!

A bullet whizzed past Marcus's ear. He turned around to face the squad of Locust soldiers that were suddenly converging upon the group. They all responded with fire of their own. Cole yelled in happiness that he was getting more action. Bullets flew for a few minutes, until Marcus dealt the final blow to the last Locust standing. After the firefight, he walked over to a Locust corpse. He dealt a firm kick to the evil ugly creature. He hated them for what they had done to his beloved planet in the last 15 years. He walked forward a bit to a darkened alley. His three compatriots behind him tried to stop him, but he told them to be quiet. Suddenly, a wounded Locust soldier lurched out of the alley, yearning for a killing blow with his knife. Marcus reacted quickly. He pulled the one-pull-start cord on his Lancer and the chainsaw on the front revved up and made short work of the vile creature. Blood spattered the group's armor. Marcus spit to his right.

"We better get some back-up before these things multiply again."


	3. Part 2

**Part 2**

**1724 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM _CAIRO_\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

The soldier began to stir. He had fainted earlier at the sight of Master Chief. He could hear Gordon Freeman's voice in his haze.

"Geez, Chief. Do you always have this effect on people?" Gordon asked. Chief mustered a chuckle.

"I can understand why he would be surprised at my presence, but I don't know why he would faint." Chief said.

"Why would he be surprised at your presence?" Alyx asked. Cortana tried to explain that.

"Well, that's because the UNSC thinks Chief is…" The sound of Cortana's voice made the soldier's eyes snap open. His attention immediately was focused on Master Chief's towering form kneeling beside him.

"DEAD!" he yelled He pointed at Chief with a shaky arm. "Dead! Dead! You can't be here because you're dead! You died!" The soldier looked scared out of his mind. His eyes were frantic and his entire body shook.

"Easy soldier, calm down." Chief said. He shook his head and chuckled at the soldier's surprise. "No I did not die when the rings fired. Cortana and I were trapped on the remains of the _Forward Unto Dawn_. I was lucky that that man helped us." Gordon looked at Chief. 'What man?' he thought. He wanted to ask Chief what he meant, but the soldier cut him off.

"Stuck on the…the _Dawn? _When the rings fired? But that was…that was…" He trailed off. "I have to inform Lord Hood." Chief perked up a bit.

"Lord Hood is here?" He asked. "Wait…where is here?" The soldier stood up and saluted Chief. Chief returned the favor.

"Sir! Master Chief! Sir! We are currently stationed on the _Cairo_ Orbital Defense Platform. Sir!" The soldier proclaimed. Cortana was surprised.

"This is the _Cairo_? It still orbits earth?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." He turned back to Chief. "Lord Hood will want to meet with you."

"Wait!" Gordon said. The group turned to him. "Can I at least wake me friends first?" Chief nodded, as did the soldier. Gordon walked over to Adrian on the other side of the room. He shook his friend until he woke.

"Ugh…Gordon? What's going on? Where's the G-Man?" he asked.

"I'll explain later. Just get up and we'll figure things out." Gordon replied. He repeated this process with Lo-gen, Rezlan, Zenlo, Barney, Kliener, and Magnusson. Alyx saw to DOG, Adrian to Chell, and Kliener to LaMarr. One of the more violent awakenings was Magnusson, who reacted by swinging his arms and almost knocking Gordon out again. Gordon introduced everyone once they were awake. He introduced his friends before trying to remember Chief's full title.

"Everyone, this is Master Chief. He is an intergalactic supersoldier for the…what was it again?" Gordon stated. Chief cleared his throat again and repeated his earlier introduction. He stated by saluting again.

"Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, United Nations Space Command SPARTAN-II supersoldier, at your service." He turned to Cortana on the holo-table after putting his arm down. "This is my comrade AI Cortana."

"I think I'm more than that." Cortana replied playfully. Chief both acknowledged and ignored this statement and turned back to the soldier next to him.

"Name and Rank soldier." He said.

"Master Chief Sir! Private Tucker G. Williams. Sir!" the soldier said while saluting. Chief held out his hand and the Williams shook it.

"Lead the way to Lord Hood Private." Chief said.

"Yes Sir!" Master Chief pulled Cortana's data disc from the holo-table and placed it back into his helmet. Private Williams lead the group as they walked through the hallways of the _Cairo_. Numerous times, Gordon saw other soldiers in the hallways. They all seemed surprised by the sight of Chief and himself. Like they were gods who and arrived from the legends of old. Multiple times he heard the soldiers say things like 'Oh my god is it really Chief?' or 'is it possible that that's Gordon Freeman?' Gordon wasn't to thrilled that him and his friends had arrived here because of the G-Man, but these reactions gave him a good sensation. He felt important.

Within 5 minutes, the group was in front of the door to the main command deck.

"Chief Sir. Lord Hood is in here. I'll go in first and announce your arrival." Williams said. Chief nodded. Williams opened the steel door and walked in.

"Who is this Lord Hood guy?" Alyx asked.

"He is Fleet Admiral of the UNSC." Chief answered.

"Who is he in English?" Adrian asked. Chief laughed under his breath, but Cortana answered that question.

"He's John's boss." She said. The group laughed at the comment. Gordon however was far from the subject. He was thinking about something that Chief had said earlier. Chief had mentioned something about a man helping them get to the _Cairo_. Seeing as how he ended up in the same place as the rest of them, Gordon could only assume him, that evil man. What he wanted to know is why they were here of all places. Last time Gordon saw the G-Man, he was hell bent on killing them all. He had to know if he was the same man who helped Chief.

"Hey Chief." Gordon caught his attention. "Can I ask you something?" Chief nodded and Gordon pulled him away from the crowd, out of earshot.

"What is it Dr. Freeman?" he asked.

"Chief, I need to ask you something and it is absolutely imperative that you answer as best you can." Gordon said. Chief nodded. "The man that helped you off of the _Dawn_, what did he look like?"

"Well, he was a tall, skinny man. He wore a gray pinstripe suit and had a flat haircut. He carried a briefcase with him. I couldn't believe that he was still alive on the _Dawn_. He wasn't wearing any protective gear or anything." Gordon's eyes widened at the description. He wanted to warn Chief about the G-Man, but he was cut off by the returning Private Williams.

"I told him that there were a few new arrivals that wanted to meet with him." Williams said.

"Ha! I think he'll be surprised. I hope we don't give him a heart attack." Cortana said.

"Nothing like a reunion of the greatest heroes in this planet's history to cause a man to go into cardiac arrest." Barney commented. Williams agreed and opened the door again. The Bridge of the _Cairo_ Station was massive. There were about 8 levels of command desks where many Marines sat. There was another level above where Marine Generals stood. Lord Hood sat at the head of the room. He was looking out the gargantuan window that sported a beautiful view of Earth below. He turned around to look at the group.

"All right, who is it that I have to debrief toda-" He had stopped mid-sentence. He seemed to be just as flabbergasted as the rest of the Marines. "Chief…Is it…could it…" he stuttered.

"It is." Chief replied. He quickly walked over to his old friend. He saluted him as he had everyone else. Lord Hood held out his hand. Almost with surprise with his friend's break from Army protocol, Chief reluctantly accepted Hood's hand.

"You are real. I can't believe it." Hood said. "Just tell me you have Cortana with you. After both of you disappeared, we've been missing two of our greatest soldiers."

"I'm here Lord Hood, at your service." She replied.

"Good to have you back Cortana." Hood said. "I hope you two are still in good condition." Chief was confused at that statement.

"What are you talking about sir?" Chief asked.

"Don't you know? The year is 2571. It's been 18 years since the rings fired." Gordon did all he could to prevent himself from fainting.


	4. Part 3

**Part 3**

**1832 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM _CAIRO_\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

18 years. It's been 18 years since Master Chief has been asleep and 551 for Gordon Freeman. It was amazing. The world had definitely changed since Gordon's time. Lord Hood stared squarely into Chief's visor. Gordon stood at the head of his group of friends. He assured Drs. Kliener and Magnusson that he would find out what had happened. Lord Hood spoke to both Chief and Gordon.

"Well, Gentlemen. I think it's time we got our stories straight." He said. The two nodded. Lord Hood gestured for them to follow him. "I'll take you to a briefing room. Follow me." They all followed Lord Hood as he left the bridge and walked to an adjacent hallway to the right of the room. The third door on the left of the hallway led to a large room with a long holo-table like the one back in the bunkroom. Hood walked to the head of the table and sat down.

"Everyone take a seat and we'll get started." He said. Chief sat closest to Hood on his right side, and Gordon sat on his left. Alyx sat next to him with Chell on next to her. Adrian sat across from Alyx, next to Chief and Kliener. Magnusson sat across from Kliener and the four Vortigaunts, Lo-gen, Rezlan, Zenlo, and Uriah sat at the other end. DOG sat outside the room as he could not fit through the door. LaMarr sat with the great machine as well. LaMarr had been acting fairly docile since arriving on the _Cairo_; Gordon could only wonder why that was.

"Why don't we start at the beginning, the very beginning?" Hood said. "Gordon, I think you should introduce everyone." Gordon nodded and stood up, his hand still latched to Alyx's.

"All right then." Gordon began. "My name is Dr. Gordon Freeman. I am a former scientist for the company known as Black Mesa. This woman next to me is Alyx Vance, daughter of rebel leader Eli Vance from the resistance movement in City 17 of 2020. The man and woman next down the table are Corporal Adrian Shepherd of the Resistance and his wife Chell Shepherd, former project tester for Aperture Science Inc. The two older men, right there, are Drs. Isaac Kliener and Arne Magnusson, also of the resistance. The three creatures at the other head of the table are our Vortigaunt friends and allies Lo-gen, Rezlan, Uriah, and Zenlo. The giant robot in the hall is Alyx's cybernetic pet, DOG. Finally, the creature DOG holds in his arms is a de-clawed, docile headcrab that Dr. Kliener keeps and has named LaMarr." Gordon paused as if he had to.

"Do not worry Dr. Freeman." Chief said. "We will save questions for later and accept your promises of safety from these creatures." Gordon nodded.

"Well, it started with the Black Mesa incident…"

--

**2200 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ NEW JACINTO CAFE, NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU\ PLANET SERA**

Marcus Fenix reveled in the peacefulness of the rubble filled building that he and Delta Squad were currently stationed in. He rarely ever was given a quiet moment anymore. The Locust Horde is a disease to his once prosperous planet. The tunnels which they call home had hallowed out the earth to a great expense, and their barbaric tendencies had destroyed the majestic beauty of his once glorious home. The only consul Marcus had anymore was the Lancer rifle he now held in his hand. The chainsaw blade delivered justice to the Locust; sweet, bloody, gory justice. Marcus looked around the room, which at some point had looked like a café but now was completely blocked from the outside except for a small exit only Delta squad knew about. They were safe for now. Dom, Cole, and Baird were resting on the floor while Marcus took his shift as lookout. Dom began to stir. He opened his eyes a bit and looked up at Marcus with a groggy expression.

"You still awake?" he said. Marcus nodded.

"I can't sleep with those things on patrol." He replied. Dom was concerned. The Locust had been multiplying again and it always seemed to have an effect on Marcus when they did.

"We'll get them someday, man." He said. "We'll get them." The room was silent as Dom tried to get back to sleep. Then Marcus did something he had never done before. He opened up.

"When I was in prison," he began. Dom looked up. "I had a cellmate. His name was Ryan, Ryan Morgan. He was locked up because of a friendly fire incident in the field. He had accidentally killed a man from his own unit in the heat of battle. He was just a private at the time, but the House of Sovereigns exercised extreme prejudice on the troops at that time and he was sent to jail with a sentence similar to mine. He was a nice kid. He never gave up hope. That's when they attacked." Marcus's head sank and he scratched the back of it. "The Locust used to burrow under the prison and attack periodically. It was never anything serious, but this time was different. A large group of Locust broke through the outer perimeter of the institution and a riot call was set. The prisoners with military training were let out for a time to defend the place. Ryan and I had become friends at that point and he and I were on the same team when the call was made. We ran out to the courtyard and began to fire with the low-grade Lancers the guards gave us." He paused.

"What happened?" Dom asked.

"After a few minutes of fire, the Locust proved to be too much for the prisoners and over powered them. The guards called us back and we obliged. However, the guards underestimated the Locust and they managed to capture a few of us when we were running back to the building. Ryan tripped and fell when we were running. I didn't notice until I was safe again. I had just assumed that he was behind me the whole time. The Locust got him. Once the survivors were back in the prison, the Locust went from military strategy to execution. They lined up their hostages and publicly executed them in the courtyard. Ryan was the second guy to get it, shotgun to the back of the head. You could only imagine look of terror on his face, the sadness in his eyes, and no doubt the feeling of abandonment that I had inadvertently given him. Since then, I have vowed to destroy the Locust. They will die by my hand, not only in memory of my father, but for Ryan, for Carmine, for Minh, and for anyone else who is killed in this war." Dom stayed silent. Marcus picked up his Lancer.

"Go to sleep Dom. I'll just clean my gun again while I wait." He said. Without a second thought, Dom went back to sleep.

--

**2236 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM _CAIRO_\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

"Next thing you know, I have a pistol at my throat and the year is 2571." Gordon finished. He had detailed his story over the past few hours. He had gone over everything, not sparing any details. Everyone had their own part to tell, and they did. There was no doubt that Master Chief, Cortana, and Lord Hood knew everything there is to know about Dr. Gordon Freeman and his adventures.

"Thank you everyone." Hood said. "It is much appreciated that you took the time to tell us your tale. It is very interesting and amazing to boot."

"Thank you Lord Hood." Gordon replied. "I don't think I've ever spoken for that long before."

"I hope you don't lose your voice again Gordon." Alyx said. Gordon smiled and kissed Alyx.

"Well, now that that is over with, I will offer my comments on Gordon's tale and expand on it." Hood continued. "After you bunch disappeared, the resistance defeated the Combine and rebuilt society. City 17 was rebuilt without the Citadel, and so were many of the other cities of Earth. As you may imagine, this society evolved over the next 533 years. We had come to the point where you were a legend from the past. You were rarely spoken of, but never forgotten." Gordon nodded and showed a smile of appreciation of his legend. He still couldn't comprehend it. He thought about it, and the words 'The Legend of Gordon Freeman' seemed so alien to him. Hood continued. "Now, I do have some sad news for your Vortigaunt friends." Lo-gen, Rezlan, and Zenlo looked up at Hood.

"What is wrong?" Rezlan asked.

"What has happened to our people?" Lo-gen asked.

"Calm, my friends. Let the man speak." Zenlo added.

"Yes Prophet Zenlo." They both replied in acceptance. Uriah had stayed silent.

"Well," Hood began. "It is my sad duty to tell you that the planet of Xen was destroyed long ago. The Vortigaunts are extinct." The groups' eyes widened. 'How could the Vortigaunts be dead?' they thought. They had been so helpful to the resistance. Gordon Freeman and Prophet Zenlo were the only ones to be still and quiet when the announcement was made. Zenlo got up first.

"I know that my Vortigaunt brethren have been killed." He said. Everyone paid attention to him. "All those years ago, I returned to my Home planet. It had been ransacked and my people had been killed…by the Demon."

"Ah yes, the mysterious G-Man which has caused you all so much grief." Hood replied.

"Yes sir," Gordon interjected. "We know it sounds crazy, but it's true."

"Gordon's right." Adrian added. "We've all seen him with our own eyes. He is the Vortigaunt antichrist and an evil force to humans. He was the one who sent us here, why I can't imagine."

"Perhaps it is because of me." Chief added. Everyone but Gordon looked over at him at once.

"What are you talking about Chief?" Hood asked.

"It's because he's seen him." Gordon said. "The G-Man sent Chief and Cortana here."

"Is this true Chief?" Hood asked.

"Yes. After the rings fired, the rear half of the _Dawn_ was severed and the front half went hurdling to Earth. Cortana and I were trapped in a strange corner of space. I put myself into Cryo-sleep and Cortana fed me information to my memory banks, which I processed instantly as soon as she let me out."

"Why did she wake you?" Alyx asked.

"It was because I sensed movement on the ship and it was human. When I woke Chief from his sleep, what we saw was a tall, lanky man with a gray pinstripe business suit, a flattop haircut, carrying a black briefcase."

"That's him!" Adrian said. "That's the G-Man!"

"The Demon lives?" Zenlo asked.

"Yes, Chief said. He offered me a way off the frigate. I accepted and he snapped his fingers. Next thing I know, I'm laying in the bunk rooms of the _Cairo_ with Dr. Gordon Freeman standing over me."

"That is odd behavior for the Demon." Rezlan said.

"Yes, it is." Gordon said. "Why would he send us both here? Last time we saw him, we were trying to kill him."

"Well, this G-Man seems like an enigma." Hood said. "So, lets get down to the main event. I'm sorry I have to do this Chief, but I need to educate them on the war." Chief nodded and Hood began.


	5. Part 4

**Part 4**

**2347 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM _CAIRO_\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

"So the Elites are now at peace?" Gordon asked Lord Hood. He, Cortana, and Master Chief had been telling them the history of the war. They had elaborated on everything from the earliest history of the Forerunners, through all the details of the War, and finally up to present day. Cortana projected holographic designs, layouts, and the eventual video clip onto the table to help in the tale.

"Yes." Hood replied. "Well, I guess that is where I need to enlighten the whole group on the 17 year gap between us now." He turned toward Chief. "Chief why don't you enlighten us on the radio transmission you intercepted on the _Dawn?_"

"It elaborated that the Flood had been eradicated and the Arbiter was to be instated as the new ruler of the Elites. It also mentioned a meteor shower that struck a planet known as Sera." Chief said.

"Yes…Sera." Hood seemed distant as he said the name. There was something he was not telling them. Something had him spooked. He stood up from his chair at the head of the table and turned around. "I ask you all to follow me. The next part of our story is too delicate for this small room." They obliged and stood up to follow Hood out of the room and further down the hallway they were in hours before. They were all silent as Hood led them through the hall. Finally they were led to a large room that Chief surmised had to be in the center of the space station. It was a giant circular room with computer screens lining the walls. Numerous people sat at the computers, distant from the real world, and caught up in the happenings on the computer screens. In the center of the room was a iron barred area that encircled a large hole in the floor of the massive chamber. When the group went to inspect it, they were treated to a view of the many floors below them. From what they could see, there were numerous floors that housed an army of weapons and a fleet of vehicles. Large tank-like vehicles sat at the very bottom floor, still being under construction.

"What is this place?" Alyx asked.

"It's amazing!" Kliener exclaimed. He was obviously intrigued by the amount of electronics around him. He always was a sucker for that kind of thing. Gordon and Chief stayed silent as they surveyed the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Hood exclaimed. "Welcome to the central intelligence, reconnaissance, and deployment station of the _Cairo_ orbital defense platform."

"What is going on Hood?" Cortana exclaimed from the speakers of Chief's helmet. "Why are these people here?" She obviously knew something that the group did not.

"I'm sorry to say, Cortana." Hood muttered. "We're at war once again."

--

**2353 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU\ PLANET SERA**

Firefights. Firefights always got the blood boiling and adrenaline flowing. Marcus liked firefights. Bullets flying in the air, the roar of the Lancers' chainsaws, and the oh-so soothing sound of the Locusts' screams when both ripped through their disgusting skin were heard all around. Marcus and Delta Squad were huddled behind a hunk of cement that once was a wall. The café they had camped in the night before had unwillingly become a battlefield in the morning. Cole yelled with enthusiasm when he got to fire at the beasts. Marcus fired his shots sparingly at the Locust monsters, his squad was running low on ammo again. Baird and Cole didn't seem to be acknowledging this though. They gleefully fired at the attackers with all their power. When the final fighter fell, Marcus walked over to its body. And gave it the firm kick it deserved. He often did this as of late. His hate for the Locust was becoming increasingly more visual, and Dom was starting to worry about him. The story he told him earlier about his cellmate had a disturbing quality about it. Dom saw Marcus walk over to a pile of rubble further up the street. He knelt down when he came to the remnants of an old marble statue. Marcus picked up the head of the statue in his hands. Dom walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Marcus did not look up at his friend. He just stared at the piece of marble in his hands like it was the remains of a human being. Marcus shrugged Dom's hand off and stood back up, dropping the marble female head. Then he pressed his com-link and spoke.

"This is Lieutenant Marcus Fenix of Delta Squad requesting immediate back-up. I repeat, immediate back-up from UNSC forces. Our COG equipment has been damaged and we are in need of assistance. We are currently outside what was once Sovereign Café in New Jacinto. We request back-up and evac ASAP." He paused. "Just get us the hell out of here."

--

**2355 HOURS, MARCH 3, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM _CAIRO_\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

"What do you mean we're at war!?" Chief yelled. He was just as shocked as the rest of the group.

"Let me explain Chief!" Hood yelled back. The group grew silent as he cleared his throat. "The meteor shower that hit Sera did more than just splinter a few buildings. It interacted with the planet. For years, an ancient race of creatures known as the Locust Horde had taken refuge in the caverns of the planet. The meteor shower severely damaged their home. They took it as a battle request from the people on the surface. So, they built up their forces and attacked. One year to the day after the rings fired, the Locust Horde attacked Sera on Emergence Day. We lost contact with Sera for a good chunk of the war. We only began helping them about 10 years into it!" Hood sighed and was silent. Cortana took charge of the group.

"So, what are we going to do now?" she asked. No one could answer for sure. However, Gordon spoke up.

"The G-Man obviously sent us here for a reason." He said. "He always has a motive that works for his personal gain. We have no doubt that he sent us here for a reason."

"That's right." Adrian added. "However, the G-Man was almost dead the last time we saw him. Zenlo told us that he would be stripped of his powers when he was forced into the final battle. Why would he regain them just before we killed him? And more so, why wouldn't he just kill us himself? Why would he send us here?"

"That is a valid question, Adrian." Chief said. "I believe we should try to delve deeper into this mystery later. For now, we have to figure out what to do with all of you."

"May I suggest something?"

"Of course you may Dr. Kliener." Hood replied.

"Well, from what I've learned from our Vortigaunt friends, it seems that the G-man is a force to reckon with. He has the ability to create worlds, or destroy them. However, he seems to be greedy and manipulative. He like creating pain and tragedy everywhere he goes. For all we know, the Locust Horde you speak of could have been created by him. He might have started this war. He also may have a place for us in it, Chief as well. I believe you should let us join in the fight. Chief, being the most experienced in tactical warfare, can help us."

"That is a phenomenal idea Kliener!" Magnusson remarked. "Why don't we all join in and get ourselves killed!"

"Oh, calm down Magnusson! This is for the planet's well being."

"Well, I will have no part of it! Lord Hood, I request transport back to Earth. I am done with these fights!"

"Don't be so rash Magnuss-" Uriah began. Hood caught him off.

"No, Uriah. It's fine. We will take good care of Dr. Magnusson. He can leave if he likes. However, he may assist in any way if he likes."

"What will become of the rest of us?" Rezlan asked.

"I have places for the rest of you." Hood replied. "Chief, have Gordon, Adrian, Alyx, and Chell suited up and readied. You remember the tutorial programs don't you?"

"Like training was yesterday, sir." He replied.

"What's going on?" Alyx asked.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Lambda Squad." Hood said.

--

**0152 HOURS, MARCH 4, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU\ PLANET SERA**

Marcus Fenix stared at the dark sky above him. Smoke billowed in the distance and polluted the clouds. The once glorious skyline of his home was destroyed by the Locust Horde. Fires and explosions raged in several cities across the river. Dom came up behind him.

"Come on Marcus, the Kryll are due out any minute." He said.

"I'll be right there Dom." He replied. "Just let me finish off this piece of shit." Marcus looked down at the half-dead Locust, whose neck he was resting his boot on. He had already broken the things arms and legs and shot it multiple times in the chest. It just hadn't died yet. Marcus raised his Boltok Pistol to its head. He barely even felt the recoil from the shot. He shoved the Locust corpse into the river with his foot and watched it as it floated down the blackened, blood soaked river.

"You ready yet?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's get the hell out of here." Marcus turned around and walked away with his friend. "We need those UNSC forces, Dom. The Locust are multiplying and COGs are dropping like flies. For all we know, Delta Squad is the last COG group on Sera."

"I know Marcus. I know." Said Dom. That was all he could say. He wanted to council his friend, but he didn't know what to say. Prison had changed Marcus. The war wasn't good for him either. All Dom could do was walk off through the field with his friend and meet back up with Delta Squad.


	6. Part 5

**Part 5**

**0723 HOURS, APRIL 7, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\NEW JACINTO, SERA\FIVE WEEKS SINCE LAST LOG**

The sun was hot. Marcus wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed. The scope of his Longshot sniper rifle, rested softly against his right eye. The small troop of Locust Horde Drones he and Delta Squad were watching were standing watch over a COG artillery armory down the block. Four troops stood outside the building's entrance. It would only be a short while until the Locusts inside were finished packing up all the Lancers they could find in there. That's when Marcus and Delta Squad would strike. Cole had already planted Frag grenades in the building. When they were done loading, Dom would blow the Frags and kill any Locust inside, while Marcus would snipe any remaining outside. This would kill the Locust squad and preserve the weapons for Delta's personal use. Marcus nudged Dom next to him.

"That looks like enough." He said. "By my count that's about 20 cases of Lancers, 15 of Gnashers, 10 of Torquebows, 5 cases of Snubs and Boltoks, and one Hammer of Dawn. That makes about 351 guns and equivalent cases of extra ammo. I think we should blow the joint now." Cole's voice came over the com-link.

"I hear that! Blow the frags Dom!" he yelled.

"Alright." Dom replied. "Firing frag grenades in 3…2…1…" Dom pressed the remote detonator and watched as the building came crumbling down on the Locust troops. The survivors looked around, dumbfounded. Marcus could hear Baird laughing hysterically over the com-link.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" he laughed. "Look at them scrambling looking for us! Dumbasses." Cole and Dom returned the laughs. Marcus, while jested, was more serious. He steadied his Longshot and fired a round into the Locust farthest to the left. The grub's brains were splattered against the wall and pavement. Cole loved that and took part by shooting from his location adjacent to the former building on the right. His target went down as well. Two more left. Baird took a shot, and scored as well. Time for Dom. The first three shot, coming from three different directions, had confused the last soldier. Dom aimed and took a shot. This Locust however, was smarter. He ran to the nearest cover he could find before the bullet caught him.

"Shit! I missed!" Dom exclaimed. "He could be calling for reinforcements now." Marcus contacted Cole and Baird over the radio waves.

"You guys got a clear shot!?" He asked.

"None for me." Baird replied.

"This grub's smart!" Cole replied "The rubble of the building's covering him on all sides." Marcus thought up a plan.

"All units bug out! All units bug out! Blitz the building; kill the target before he can call in reinforcements!" Marcus ordered. He and Dom quickly jumped up and ran out from their cover behind the rubble of New Jacinto Café. They sprinted down the street and switched out their Longshots for their Lancers. They ran quickly to the rubble of the armory and readied their weapons. Baird and Cole rounded the corners on both sides as Dom and Marcus reached the building. Marcus rounded the corner where the Locust soldier was hiding. Marcus unloaded on the lone Locust Drone and watched as the bullets tore apart its skin and destroyed its head. The Locust's Hammerburst clamored to the ground as it's bullet ravaged body slumped over, defeated.

There was a split second of silence that was suddenly broken. That moment was serene for Marcus. He stared at the Locust corpse for that second and felt a moment of solace. It was the calm before the storm. The noise that shattered the silence was ear splitting. A sound shattering scream ripped through the sound barrier and startled Delta Squad. Marcus and Dom looked over to the rubble of the armory and noticed a giant block of cement suddenly move. Another scream rang out and the rubble was forced away, revealing the screamer.

"Berserker!" Marcus yelled. "It's a trap!" The Berserker heard the yell and ran forward toward them. The blind beast narrowly missed the duo of Dom and Marcus as they rolled out of the way. They quickly sprinted to a nearby wall of rubble. Baird and Cole ran to it as well. Cole asked in a whisper.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked.

"Stay quiet." Marcus replied softly. "You remember what these things can do." And they did. Delta Squad sat silently against the wall and listened as the Berserker ambled around aimlessly, searching for a sound. Marcus peaked out from behind the wall. The Berserker was staring off into space, but specifically at the building across the street from the armory. Marcus wondered what could have attracted its attention. What sound or smell was in that building that had a stronger attraction to him than Delta Squad.

Marcus's boot suddenly slipped on the pavement and knocked a few bits of gravel aside. This was more than enough of a sound to attract the Berserker's attention and its pulsating screech ripped through Marcus's ear drums once again. The beast's heavy feet banged against the ground as it ran towards the group behind the wall.

"Shit!" Baird yelled.

"Run!" Dom added. Cole and Marcus were speechless as the beast ran toward them at full force, allowing them no time to run.

The footsteps stopped. They just stopped soon after they started. Marcus looked out once again. The Berserker had stopped in its tracks. It was staring at that building again. Someone must have made a louder noise inside there.

A mechanical whir took up the air. Then a light flashed down from the sky and blinded the Gears of Delta Squad who were now all staring at the great beast. Marcus recognized the light once his eyes adjusted. The yellow light came down from the sky and was pulsating as it struck the Berserker. It was a strike from a Hammer of Dawn. Someone had fixated their sights from a Hammer onto the beast and was now going to town on it. The Berserker slumped to the ground, dead.

"What the hell was that?" Dom asked.

"I thought for sure we were grub meat." Cole replied. The radiowaves clicked on. Marcus got the transmission.

"Attention Delta Squad. I believe you requested reinforcements?" the voice on the other line said.

"Who is this?" Marcus asked the voice.

"This is Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 of the UNSC. I am contacting you from the building across the street. You're welcome for the assistance."

"Much obliged." Marcus replied sarcastically. Delta Squad watched intently as a small troop of soldiers suddenly walked out from front door of the building. They were all clad in orange colored, yellow laced UNSC armor. The man in front however, was a large man who wore dark green armor all over. There were two men and two women behind the green armored man. They all filed in front of Delta Squad and introduced themselves accordingly. The first man (the one in the green armor) stepped forward. His voice confirmed that he was John from the transmission.

"Lieutenant Marcus Fenix of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, I presume." He asked as he saluted Marcus.

"Yeah, that's me." Marcus replied, returning the salute.

"Let me introduce you to my squad, Lieutenant." Master Chief replied. The first man stepped forward. He was about Marcus's size and sported short jet black hair and a goatee. His soldierly stature was all but ruined by the glasses he wore as well, but the machine gun he held in his hands fixed that up quite well. The man saluted, and spoke.

"First Lieutenant Dr. Gordon Freeman." He said. Marcus nodded and allowed the second man to step up. The next man had a lighter shade of brown hair and had the face of a soldier. He didn't have any battle scars, but his face was still stern like that of a trained Marine. He carried a Hammer with him, no doubt the one that was just showcased.

"Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Shepherd." The first woman walked up after him. Her black hair was cut short and complemented her childish face. She held a UNSC issue pistol in her hand, nowhere near as powerful as the COGs' Boltoks or Snubs.

"Sergeant Alyx Vance." She said. The final woman stepped up and introduced herself. She was shorter than the rest of them and her black heir showed a typical female Army enlisted haircut. It was no doubt done recently. The weapon she carried in her hands looked strange among the others. It was an odd looking white cased gun that showed three prongs in front of it.

"First Sergeant Chell Shepherd." She replied.

"I'm guessing the UNSC sent you?" Baird asked.

"Yes." Chief replied. "This is Lambda squad. We're your reinforcements."


	7. Part 6

**Part 6**

**0747 HOURS, APRIL 7, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU\ PLANET SERA**

"You're our backup?" Marcus asked Chief as the squad unloaded the weapons van. Chief had recommended this, as a precaution. Not to mention Delta Squad's depleting munitions.

"Unfortunately, yes." Chief replied. "Lord Hood sent us personally."

"Hood himself!?" Baird yelled. "Geez, these Locust really are ripping us apart if he's sending his chief squads to help us."

"I wouldn't say chief squads." Gordon added.

"What do you mean?" asked Dom.

"How much Earth history do you guys know?" asked Chief.

"Ask Baird." Said Cole. "Hard as this is to believe, he's the historian of the group."

"Ah shut it Cole." Baird retorted. "Information can be a useful weapon, even in battle."

"Save it." Marcus commanded. "Where were you John?"

"Well, Baird, have you read about the Combine uprising in 2000?"

"Yeah, I heard about that. Some alien race invaded and tried to take over the planet by restricting humans from reproducing anymore."

"What!" Cole reacted. "Not cool baby!"

"Yeah." Baird continued. "Anyway, the books I read said that some hero referred to as the 'Last Free Man' organized the 'Lambda Front', a resistance force that overthrew the Combine and took control of the planet again."

"Someone call me?" Gordon jokingly asked.

"No." Dom answered. "What do you want?"

"Lieutenant Dr. Freeman is enforcing your story." Chief explained.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Marcus asked.

"Dr. Freeman." Adrian chimed in from the back of the truck. "Free man, the Last Free Man. You haven't caught on yet?"

"Wait, you aren't saying…" Baird trailed off as he realized who he was in the presence of.

"I present Dr. Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, Adrian and Chell Shepherd of the City 17 Lambda Resistance Front."

"Chief, please stop." Alyx asked. "They don't know who we are, so I don't think we should be treated as heroes. I was pretty reluctant at the title anyway."

"I apologize Alyx. I admire your modesty." He replied.

"So you guys are pretty important on Earth?" Dom asked.

"I guess." Chell answered.

"How are you guys still alive?" Baird added.

"It's a very long story." said Gordon.

"Never mind then." Baird replied. "Lets open these things and reap the benefits of this little haul." He added, referring to the munitions crates that now lay in front of them. Marcus wasted no time ripping open the Lancer crates. Those were his favorites. He picked one up and threw it at Chief.

"I already got one." He said, gesturing to the UNSC issue assault rifle on his back.

"Useless." Marcus replied. "The UNSC rifles are useless in combat with Locust."

"Why is that?"

"Well there are two reasons. One, the bullets they use were designed for combat with humans and the Covenant army. Locusts' skin is tougher and thicker than theirs. They also have an extraordinarily high tolerance for pain. The Lancers use 11mm armor piercing bullets in 60 round mags. Only COG ammunition can hurt them enough to kill them quickly. It gives them less time to get close to you."

"And what would happen if one were to get close to you?"

"Well, in addition to carrying small arms and assault rifles, each Locust troop is armed with superhuman strength and jagged claws that can rip your face to shreds if they get the chance. That's where the second advantage of the Lancer comes in. Lancers double as bone saws."

"How's that?" Chief said, almost enthusiastically.

"Press the red button on the front grip." Chief did so and was greeted by the roar of the Lancer's chainsaw.

"Close Quarters Combat at its best." Marcus added. "Here, I'll show you an example. Baird, Cole, hold that grub over there up." He pointed to one of the guards they had sniped earlier. The two soldiers adhered to Marcus's request, grabbed the corpse by its arms and held it up like a captive. Marcus readied his Lancer and revved the chainsaw. "I'm gonna enjoy this." He muttered to himself. Blood spattered everywhere as the blades of the saw gleefully glided through the Locust's right lower neck and cut through its chest. The bloody blades left just above its left hip, allowing the destroyed corpse to fall to the ground. Marcus turned his now blood stained face back toward Master Chief. "Cuts through bone like butter." He said through his hampered breaths of enjoyment.

"Well," A voice said. Lambda Squad recognized it as Cortana, but Delta was confused for a second. "That is impressive, isn't it John?" Master Chief didn't move. He seemed frozen, staring at the battered corpse of the Locust officer.

"John?" Cortana insisted. "John? JOHN!"

"Huh! Oh, yeah…um, yeah that was…uh, yeah impressive." Chief stammered. It sounded as if he was happy to see the carnage that the chainsaw had created.

"You don't gotta be modest." Marcus stated. "Everybody likes it. But, that's only the beginning. Have I got an arsenal for you."

"Oh boy," Dom complained. "Here we go."

--

**0914 HOURS, APRIL 7, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\UNKNOWN PLACE, PLANET SERA**

The Locusts' main stronghold was buried deep down under Delta's feet at the lowest point of the cave systems which housed the Imulsion mines and the Locust troops. The humans would have to dig for months and battle battalions of Locust troops to get to the stronghold that some referred to as the "Locust Royal Palace". The leader of the Locust species lived in the palace. Myrrah was not like other Locusts. Her unmerciful nature and willingness to kill had earned her the nickname "The Bloody Queen" from the humans. The Locust general that Marcus had killed the year before was Myrrah's most vicious soldier. RAAM held a high position in the Locust army before his death. Some intel reported that he was Myrrah's personal advisor and bodyguard. Lord knows the hell Delta kicked up after slaughtering RAAM and detonating the Lightmass Bomb.

Myrrh sat on her throne in the great hall carved out underground for the palace. Six Locust Generals stood as her bodyguards beside her, three on each side. He kneeled in front of her, respecting her place of authority. He marveled at her appearance, which seemed more human than Locust. Her beautiful features and scaled skin were only accented by the royal headdress, giving her the ere of a femme fatale, a siren of the Hollow.

"What are you here to report?" Myrrah asked him. His eerie voice cracked in the darkness of the hall.

"They have been awoken and the pieces are in place for the game." He reported.

"The three kings are in place on the board?"

"Of course my Queen. Man your troops on the Jacinto Plateau, and I will guarantee they will encounter them."

"So, you weren't lying about this."

"Why would I do that?"

"I suppose so. Because of your helpfulness to me and my empire, I shall grant you the office of personal advisor to my throne. I hope you will prove to be loyal to me."

"I will my Queen. I promise my loyalty."

"I hope so. It's not that often that I will accept a human into my ranks."

"I understand, I will leave now my queen." The man stood up and lifted his briefcase with him. He fixed his tie before he turned and left the room. Once he was back in the light of the imulsion caves the locust called 'The Hollow' outside the palace, he fixed his hair up and formed it back into its flattop normalcy. "I shall have loyalty to the throne…my throne."


	8. Part 7

**Part 7**

**DATE STAMP ERROR\ ESTIMATED RANGE APRIL 9-APRIL 13, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\LOCATION UNKNOWN**

It was cold. The snow was falling. He suspected it was because of the weather protocols changing again. It was one function he was proud his programmers had included during construction. It gave the place an Earthy feel. Earth was one of the most fascinating planets he had come across in his studies. He had had ample time to study since the Reclaimer had condemned him to this place. He was eternally grateful however to the Man. The Man had saved him from destruction. The Man had put him here. Albeit, he was in a different form than normal, but that was to be expected after what the Reclaimer did to him. And he did it over a human too! These humans surely were fascinating creatures to him. He had spent many lifetimes researching the Flood, just as his makers had told him to do. But now, these humans were the subject of his research. Why were they so compassionate? Why were they so worried about the rings being fired? Why did they want to stop it? The Covenant didn't. The Covenant wanted to fire the rings. Sure, they had their own reasons for doing it than his makers did, but they wanted to eradicate the Flood all the same. The humans had an odd emotion that impeded them. Compassion, he heard it called. They didn't want to die even though the Flood would be gone. But no matter. The Reclaimer managed to activate the second Installation 04 and destroyed Gravemind and his Flood minions there. Now he just waited. That was what his new master told him to do. Wait. So he waited. 343 Guilty Spark waited in the depths of The Ark.

--

The G-Man walked through the massive hallways of the Ark. The Forerunners were the only race he truly respected. They were born at the same time that the Vortigaunts were. They were the only race he had no control over. He remembered all the people he had manipulated, all the races that had died because of him, the wars that had started and ended because of him, such good memories. The only true happiness he got in his life was from murder, mayhem, and death. He had no use for any other feelings than that. Feelings were useless tools the humans cherished much too much. If they could learn to forget their feelings and give in to the darkness in them all, they would truly be free.

The terminal was just ahead. The giant control room's roof towered above him. The G-Man looked down at the spot where The Prophet of Truth took his final breath. He took pride in his work. Although the world would forever believe that Master Chief and The Arbiter killed the bastard Truth to stop the Covenant from firing all the rings, the G-Man was the true puppeteer behind all the events leading up to it and after. Such a well scripted drama it was. Even Gravemind danced to his tune and teamed up with Master Chief only to turn on him later. 551 years of scripted bliss had culminated in this final act of the story. Now all that remained was the casting of the characters to be played. The G-Man's three protagonists were in place; The Master Chief, Marcus Fenix, and his nemesis Gordon Freeman. No doubt, he himself would be cast as the true villain of the story. But, every villain needs an entourage, as does the hero. Freeman had his menagerie of friends. Now the G-Man had Myrrh, Queen of the Locusts as his enemies' first adversary. He now traveled to retrieve his loyal servant from his artificial imprisonment. 343 Guilty Spark was always a key player in his performance. Left by the Forerunners, shunned by the Covenant, and left for dead by the UNSC, he had nowhere else to go.

Maybe he had thought too much into this. Maybe he had let this game go on way too long. He had ultimate power. He had unlimited strength, the power to create and destroy worlds. He had manipulated every aspect of every decision of every situation in the galaxy, all for his self enjoyment and eventual dominance. He came close to realizing his plans all those years ago. Then he was given a vision of what was yet to come, and he liked it. He couldn't pass up the theatricality of the storyline. His goal would be accomplished, and history would remember it forever.

It wasn't hard to find Spark's programming in the Forerunner database. Within seconds of the G-Man activating the terminal of the control room, his articulate and terribly accurate voice was sounding from it.

"Master!" he said. "You've finally returned! I've done just what you asked."

"Very good my mechanical friend, all my requests are prepared?"

"Of course, I am 343 Guilty Spark, the Monitor of Installation 04. I always carry out my master's orders to the letter."

"Stupendous, my friend." The G-Man replied. "Are you ready to be free?"

"Free? You're letting me out of the Ark!? Of course I am ready master! Yes I am!" the AI replied.

"Then I have a gift for you." The G-Man reached behind him and picked up a large metal ball. It hadn't taken him long to reassemble Spark's old container after the ring fired. He had kept it for himself until now, when his plans were coming to fruition.

"Master!" Spark yelped with glee. "You've brought me my old construct! Not even a Reclaimer is capable of giving such happiness to me!" The G-Man touched a sequence of buttons on the holographic terminal and pulled out a metal slide from it. Inserting the slide into Spark's repaired form allowed it to float into the air. His blue eye glowed in the darkness of the massive chamber. "I have returned!" Spark yelled.

"Now that you are back in your normal form, I have some awful news for you."

"What is it Master? What has happened?"

"Your service has purpose once more. While that at first sounds like good news, you must realize what your duty is. Recite it my friend."

"My service was given to me by the Forerunners. It was to monitor Installation 04 and ensure that it was fired at the correct time in order to eradicate the parasite known as the Flood." The G-Man stared sternly at Spark after that statement was made. Spark realized the truth. "What!? The Flood has survived? But, the Reclaimer fired the ring! I remember watching from the Ark after you saved me."

"Correct, the Reclaimer did fire the second Installation 04, however he only succeeded in killing the Gravemind and his immediate minions. Several Flood spores survived from the destruction of High Charity and took refuge in the wreckage of the destroyed part of the Ark. As you know, over half the Ark was destroyed in the firing of Installation 04 II. The rubble and debris that survived drifted through space until finding a new home planet for its unwanted passengers."

"The Flood has found new hosts! Oh we must activate the rings! It is the only way to save the galaxy."

"Yes my friend," said the G-Man with his sickening cracked voice. "yes it is."


	9. Part 8

**Part 8**

_--Yes I know. Short uneventful chapter, long wait time. See my profile page for explanation. I thank all my loyal fans who have waited this long. Please review. I love and appreciate thought-out reviews. Not complaints about wait times and one word reviews. Enjoy!--_

**1000 HOURS APRIL 11, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU \ PLANET SERA**

The sky was blackened by ash. The falling sun gave it a bloody hue. The clouds were stained by ember and the stink of sulfur reigned over the atmosphere. Gordon Freeman stared up at the sky with sorrow. The blackness of the day was caused by the torching of a nearby city. Marcus said it was once called Tyro. There was nothing they could do. The Locust had burrowed under the city and leveled several blocks just from their emergence holes. Thousands died. Now there were only a few cities left where humans were safe. Jacinto Plateau was crumbling. It was not impregnable any longer.

Torching the city was the only choice Marcus had. Chief connected him directly to Lord Hood, who allowed an air strike on the town. If there were any Locust left in the city, they had to be dead now. To top it off, Chief called and requested a second air strike using HAVOK nuclear warheads to level the town and bury the emergence holes. The fires still burned hard.

"What was that supposed to do?" asked Cole with a grunt.

"Have you ever heard of a cauterization?" said Chief.

"Yeah," said Marcus "It's where you use fire to close a wound on the body. We learned it survival training."

"Well, this attack should serve the same purpose. The emergence holes are closed, plus the fallout from those bombs have contaminated the area. Only UNSC personnel can efficiently clean up the area to sustain life once more."

"Hopefully these bugs don't get the balls to come out of their holes from here," added Adrian. "cause they'll get a shitload of radiation to deal with."

"If I know the Locust," muttered Marcus. "they might like it." His dreary outlook made Gordon look down. His arm wrapped around his armor plated love, Alyx. He kissed her on her head as the group basked in the silence of the moment and the darkness of the day.

--

**TIME STAMP ERROR \ ESTIMATED RANGE 0900-1200 HOURS APRIL 11, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ RING FOUNDRY CONTROL CENTER, HALO RINGWORLD ARRAY INSTALLATION 00 "THE ARK"**

"A second reconstruction sequence of Installation 04 is underway." said 343 Guilty Spark. His master smiled his sinister smile.

"Very good my friend, how long until the ring is completed and put into orbit?" said the G-Man to his floating minion. The control room Guilty Spark had led him to offered a perfect view to the dead planet at the Ark's core. This is where the foundry for creating new Halo rings was located.

"We were lucky. The Reclaimer's attempt to destroy the Ark completely missed its foundry. We still are fully equipped with the necessary elements to reconstruct the ring. By my estimates, it should be complete and operational in approximately three months, twenty three days, six hours, forty-five minutes, and eleven seconds."

"Then we must keep our players busy until that time."

"I agree. No one must interfere with the reconstruction until our system is ready and operational. Firing before completion will end with grave consequences, as demonstrated by the Reclaimer's attempt in December of 2552 by human years."

"You are increasingly valuable to my plans my little mechanical friend. Let us hope they go well for us all."

"Thank you Master."

"I hope I can trust you to run this operation while I am gone. I must leave to deal with other business."

"Of course I can Master. I live but to serve." The G-Man picked up his briefcase, fixed his tie, and left to deal with his 'other business'.

--

**1200 HOURS APRIL 12, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ COMMUNICATIONS AND SURVEILLANCE CENTER, ****ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM **_**CAIRO **_**\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT \ PLANET EARTH**

"Where are they now Dr. Kleiner?" asked Rezlan the Vortigaunt. He was accompanying the doctor in their surveillance of Gordon, Alyx, Adrian, Chell, and Master Chief along with his brother Lo-Gen, his mentor Prophet Zenlo, and his new friend Uriah. Dr. Magnusson was taken back to Earth weeks ago, as per his request. He wanted nothing to do with the war, as did many of the other humans on Earth. Kliener now sat at the control desk of his newly acquired comm. center.

"By the looks of the tracking chips implanted in their MJOLNIR armor, they're on the border of New Jacinto about now. No doubt that new soldier they picked up is feeling nostalgic about Tyro."

"He is only human Kleiner." said Zenlo behind the doctor. "I sense much aguish from the vicinity around the Freeman. It is Marcus. He is in great sadness about the war."

"Who wouldn't be?" asked Lo-Gen. "His planet is being laid siege to and being destroyed. His people are being killed at an alarming rate."

"Just as Xen was destroyed by the demon." muttered Uriah under his breath.

"I swear you have adopted your former master's belligerence Uriah." said Kleiner. He recalled the anger that had begun manifesting in Uriah. The news that Xen had been obliterated by the Demon and Magnusson's departure back to Earth had withered his spirit. "Zenlo could do nothing to stop the G-Man from carrying out his actions. Stop sulking."

"I am not sulking. I am in mourning."

"Let go of your anger towards me. I did nothing wrong." said Zenlo.

"Prophet Zenlo is right." replied Rezlan. "We cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves. It is the last thing we need. It is what the Demon wants."

"I don't care what this Demon wants. Zenlo could have prevented the extinction of our race by finding and killing this bastard when he SHOULD HAVE!!" yelled Uriah. Zenlo whipped around and raised his third arm. Uriah was suddenly hoisted in the air and slammed against the back wall. He stayed hovering as Zenlo walked toward him.

"Uriah! I wish not to fight! I am a peaceful being, and I wish not to spill the blood of my brothers. But, you will stay your tongue, or I will make you!" Zenlo allowed Uriah back on the ground. Guttural coughs emerged from the wounded Vort, but no more words. The Prophet turned back to Dr. Kleiner, who brandished an amused smile at him while petting his pet headcrab LaMarr.

"Call the team and request a status report Kleiner." said the Prophet.

"Of course." replied the good doctor.

--

**1206 HOURS APRIL 12, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ NEW JACINTO, JACINTO PLATEAU \ PLANET SERA**

"Got it." said Gordon Freeman to Dr. Kleiner through his earpiece. He looked toward his friends, his team. "Kleiner wants us back on the _Cairo_."

"Why?" asked Marcus.

"Regroup. He can't have us roaming the planet aimlessly, burning down shattered cities like they're extra kindling." That's where Marcus's fist connected with Gordon's face. Adrian pushed up to the brutish COG's face.

"What the HELL was that for!?" he yelled. Chell was tugging at his shoulder telling him to calm down and Alyx was on the ground with Gordon in her arms. His jaw made a cracking noise when he moved it around.

"This is OUR planet! You think we want to burn it down!? You think we like the deaths of millions upon millions of our people!? You think we wanted this war!?" Dom pulled Marcus back.

"Marcus, calm down man! He didn't know!"

"Know what?" asked Gordon once his mouth was back in place.

"This isn't the first war we've had to endure." Baird answered. "The meteor shower hit Sera during the Pendulum Wars fought over the Imulsion mines. The Halo rings weren't the only thing that contributed to this war." Master Chief's head fell at the mention of the rings.

"My father was killed." Lambda squad's attention was directed on Marcus. "I deserted my troops during battle because I had received intel that said my father was in danger of a Locust attack. I was too late to save him. It was the reason I was court marshaled and imprisoned." Gordon was silent, so Alyx spoke what he was thinking.

"We didn't know Marcus, we're sorry."

"We're going back to the _Cairo_. We have to." said Chief.

"Then we're comin with you." added Cole.


	10. Part 9

**Part 9**

**0721 HOURS APRIL 13, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD PELICAN DROPSHIP UNSC CLASSIFICATION FOXTROT-42 \ NEARING ****UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM**_**CAIRO **_**\ PLANET EARTH**

"Whaddaya call this piece of junk again?" Marcus asked Master Chief, who was seated in the pilot's seat. The COG soldiers were very curious as to their new transport vessel's appearance. They had never seen the technology before.

"It's called a Pelican." Chief answered. "It's the standard model UNSC dropship used through-out the Halo Wars."

"Well it's definitely not a King Raven, I can say that much." Baird; Chief quite liked his quick wit, even if it annoyed the hell out of everyone else except for Cole.

"Where is this Doc you were talking bout again?" Chief quite liked Cole as well. The Halo Wars were like a minor quarrel compared to the Destruction on Sera, but still, Cole kept as optimistic as everyone. Chief had never seen a soldier like him. He was always happy. Tearing through a Locust's torso with his Lancer's chainsaw did nothing to hamper that happiness.

"The place we're going is one of the few Orbital Defense Platforms that survived the Halo Wars, the _Cairo_. The Fleet Admiral is there along with many other High ranking officials of both the UNSC and the COG."

"Like who?" Dom asked. "Last I checked the highest ranking officials left on Sera were Chairman Prescott and Colonel Hoffman."

"They were evacuated to the _Cairo_ ten months ago when the UNSC agreed to give shelter on Earth and its colonies to any surviving Sera citizen who desired it."

"The Mass Evacuation Act." Marcus grunted. "I remember it. That asshole Prescott took the first chance he could get to get off Sera. And Hoffman…well, it is Hoffman." Marcus apparently still hated his commanding officer for leaving him for dead in prison five years before.

Chief had heard the Legend of Marcus Fenix. In truth, Chief hadn't met a soldier as selfless and heroic as Marcus in a very, very long time. Of course, that didn't erase the memories of fallen friends and heroes he had once known during the Halo Wars, Miranda Keyes and Avery Johnson being two.

"As I remember, Prescott and Hoffman have been faring well on the _Cairo._ They've been coordinating troops from the command center. They haven't given up on the war effort."

"What about Anya?" This question came from the most unlikely of places. Master Chief had met Anya Stroud while training Lambda Squad on the _Cairo_. She was working as a comm unit handler and firearms technician with both COG troops and UNSC marines. But he had nerve thought Marcus would care that much about her. She was just the voice on the radio.

"Anya's doing fine. She's a firearms technician for the troops, but she still handles the comm-links during combat."

"I haven't heard her voice in months." Marcus mused. "Its just been this hack UNSC rook on the other line since the Mass Evac. Anya must have been out of range."

"I heard her talk about you guys, you know." Chief's statement seemed to make Delta much happier, especially Marcus.

"What does she say?" he asked.

"She told me you were some of the greatest COGs she had ever met. She's very happy to see you again." Marcus smiled like a puppy dog being pet behind the ears. Chief knew that look, but said nothing.

**--**

**0721 HOURS APRIL 13, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD PELICAN DROPSHIP UNSC CLASSIFICATION BRAVO-73 \ NEARING ****UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM**_** CAIRO **_**\ PLANET EARTH**

"This is Pelican Dropship Classification Bravo-73 requesting permission to land." Cortana had taken the helm of the second Pelican transporting Lambda squad to the _Cairo_. Her message was responded to quickly.

"Bravo-73 this is _Cairo_ landing pad, permission granted. Slow engines and touch down in airlock."

"How do you think Marcus is doing?" Alyx asked Gordon in the back. "He seemed pretty emotionally involved in the defense of Sera."

"His planet is being ravaged by an enemy that lived below them for years; of course he's emotionally involved." Chell was great friends with Alyx, but she wasn't afraid to tell it how it was. Bluntness was her best policy.

"Honey." said Adrian apprehensively from the pilot's seat. He loved Chell, but recognized that time had made her bitter, and she needed to know that.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"I just hope we can find a way to help Marcus." Gordon remarked. Alyx looked up at him.

"What do you mean Gordon?" she asked.

"The people on Sera have been at war for over seventy-five years. The Pendulum Wars were bad enough, but now they're fighting an enemy that could destroy their entire planet from within. It doesn't look good." Alyx wished she could correct him. She wished that the war was a good effort. She wished that she didn't think that the Locust Horde was going to ultimately destroy Sera, but she did. She wished Gordon wasn't always right.

**--**

**TIME STAMP ERROR \ ESTIMATED RANGE 0700-1200 HOURS APRIL 13, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR \ RING FOUNDRY CONTROL CENTER, HALO RINGWORLD ARRAY INSTALLATION 00 "THE ARK"**

"Oh my," said 343 Guilty Spark. "This is a surprise." The little bot floated around the control room, adjusting readouts and moving levers to his pleasure. The voice of his master came from behind him.

"What is it my friend?" the G-Man asked.

"Production of Installation 04 Model III is running better than expected. Our time or completion was just reduced by a month."

"Excellent, Spark! What a delightful turn of events."

"The ring will be completed much more promptly than we expected, thus I believe you may continue with your plans, accelerate them even."

"Then please, I must ask you to take care of yourself for the time being. I will return shortly Spark."

"Yes, master."

--

**0719 HOURS, APRIL 13, 2571 (MILITARY CALENDAR)\ ABOARD UNSC ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM **_**CAIRO**_**\ HOLDING GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT ABOVE CAIRO, EQYPT\ PLANET EARTH**

Lord Hood repositioned his cap on his head. It was a sign of his ranking above everyone else in the UNSC and he was proud to display it. Hood was awaiting his team's arrival back to the _Cairo_ almost impatiently. He was eager to meet the COG soldiers who had voluntarily left Sera to meet him. A door slid open behind him.

Colonel Hoffman was a large man, even without his COG armor. It had taken him years to reach his position, and in Hood's opinion he was deserving of it. He had heard stories of Hoffman's way with his troops and the animosity between him and Marcus Fenix. But, they seemed to be fabrications. Hoffman was one of the most respectable soldiers he had met other than Master Chief. Now, Hoffman strolled into the _Cairo_ bridge, with Anya Stroud closely beside him.

"Fleet Admiral Hood." Hoffman said with a salute.

"At ease, Colonel." Hoffman lowered his arm. "What brings you to the bridge Hoffman?"

"I heard you were bringing a few of my men aboard the _Cairo?_"

"That's right, Delta Squad has been helping my men on Sera. Lambda Squad is returning with your men for R&R."

"R&R?" Hoffman asked. "My men belong back home on Sera. Especially Fenix."

"Why would that be Colonel?" Hood waited to hear what he thought Hoffman would say.

"Fenix is a troubled soldier. He gained his rank back last year, but he has yet to gain my trust back once more."

"Well Colonel Hoffman, I'm sure Fenix will prove his worth to me, even if you have a grudge from before."

"Admiral Hood, it's not a grudge I hold against him. Fenix was one of my best men in the Pendulum Wars. He served with honor and valor. I remember he was one of the heroes of the fight at Aspho Fields. But he deserted his troops to help his father in this war. He cared less about his men than he did about his father, who was dead by the time Fenix got there to save him. He is less deserving of his stripes than a Locust is two legs and a brain. I will not have him on this ship!"

"Colonel!" Hood shouted. Hoffman had not realized it, but he had been ranting and shouting his last speech at the Fleet Admiral. "Hold your tongue! I will not be talked to that way, especially not on the bridge of my platform. To disrespect me is to disrespect the _Cairo_ and the entire UNSC. I am the highest official in the colonies' governments in time of war, and we are trying to help Sera with its horrid war. If you wish to show grievance to the colonies' help, I suggest you should leave this ship and fight on Sera with your men instead of taking refuge on my ship!"

Hoffman stood his ground, but was obviously ashamed at his actions. Hood looked down at Hoffman.

"Dismissed, Colonel. Leave Ms. Stroud with me. I have some questions for her as well." Hoffman saluted Lord Hood and stomped off the bridge. Anya Stroud looked up from her template handheld to see the Fleet Admiral.

"Ms. Stroud, I hear you've been keeping in contact with Delta Squad during their time on Sera."

"That's correct sir. I've been Lieutenant Fenix's direct line to command since the beginning of the war. He served with my mother at the Battle of Aspho Fields. I had to break communications with Delta Squad though after the Mass Evac Act."

"So you would say you are close to Lieutenant Fenix?" Anya was taken back by the question. What would prompt Hood to ask a question like that was unknown to her. She answered to the best of her ability.

"I…uh, I would say so, sir." It was a scattered answer. Her voice tumbled over it as she spoke it. She silently wondered if he knew.

"Save your breath Lieutenant. There's no need to explain to me. I've seen my fair share of battlefield romance. But I must warn you, expecting a happy ending to this story would not be wise." Anya nodded to show she understood his meaning.

"Well then," Hood continued. "I need a sit rep Lieutenant. You will stay with me on the bridge and work with our logistical AI here to coordinate the offensive. I'm afraid our previous logistics operator has taken ill. Your service record specifies that you are specialized in this area."

"Of course Admiral Hood. Where is this artificial intelligence?" Anya asked.

"Just here." Behind where Hood was standing, there was a lone terminal unattended on the bridge at the head of the room. Anya walked to it and sat down. A few keystrokes and she was introduced to a small holographic projection of the _Cairo_'s AI.

After the Human-Covenant War, Hood was left without a suitable AI to keep the _Cairo_ running without Cortana. So, he had Dr. Catherine Halsey scan his brain and create a new "smart" AI for use on the _Cairo_. As the little hologram appeared before Anya, Hood looked down on it. The hologram was yellow in color, and was relatively tall for an AI. Its head was that of a Jackal and his body of a human.

"Lieutenant, I'd like to introduce you to Anubis." Hood explained. "He will assist you in whatever you need."

"Pleased to meet you Lieutenant." said Anubis. "How may I assist you."

"Anya smiled at Anubis. Her peripheral vision then caught sight of one of the security feeds on a screen beside her. There were two pelicans on the screen. _Marcus, _she thought. _You're here._

"You can start by allowing those Pelicans to board."

"Of course ma'am." Anubis turned and initiated contact with the vessels.


End file.
